It was a goose bump moment when Nicole Reis of Franklin passed the torch off to her father, John Odom, and pushed him across the finish line of the One Run For Boston as he sat in his wheelchair.

The tears in the eyes of the large crowd watching the conclusion of the run gave way to applause as Odom held the flame high above his head.

More than 1,000 runners participated in the non-stop running relay and over $80,000 was raised, according to their website (onerunforboston.org).

This wasn’t the first time Odom was present at the Boston Marathon finish line. The difference was, last time he was standing.

On April 15, 2013 while waiting for his daughter and running partner, Erin Botelho of Mansfield, to complete the Boston Marathon, he suffered severe injuries when the first bomb went off during the race.

Odom lives in Torrance, California and traveled to Boston to cheer on his daughter and Botelho as they finished the 26.2-mile race. When the first bomb went off he was within 20 feet of the explosion, Botelho said.

A piece of shrapnel went through the upper part of his left leg severing nerves and a main artery. He had several surgeries to remove the shrapnel and repair nerve and artery damage.

What was supposed to be a quick trip visiting with family turned into a much longer stay. Odom and his wife Karen have been living in the Bay State since the tragedy took place. He is currently in rehabilitation working to regain the ability to walk.

“This is their new normal,” Botelho said.

Bothello manages Odom’s support page on Facebook and she was approached by One Run for Boston organizers after they read his story online. Botelho got the call on June 29, one day before the race crossed the now famous finish line on Boylston Street.

Organizers wanted to know if Odom was willing to be the final leg of the 3,000-mile relay race that started in Venice Beach, CA on June 7. At various stations across the country, runners passed a torch instead of a traditional baton.

Botelho got in touch with Reis and said,

“Let’s make this happen.”

Reis and Odom shared Botelho’s enthusiasm and were on board.

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It was decided that the two women would pick up the torch at the exact spot, mile 25.8, when they were alerted that something had gone wrong and were forced to stop running.

“I didn’t realize, but we were so close,” Botelho said. “We were at the corner right before you turn down Boylston.”

With the baton in hand, emotions were high as the two ran in sync recalling all that happened with each stride only months before. They visualized the state trooper who was unable to guide them when they asked for help. They remembered the confused faces and of course the chaos.

This was Botelho’s first marathon and she admits she was frustrated that someone took away the opportunity for her to complete her goal.

But as they ran down Boylston, a new journey emerged. Their emotions picked up as they looked to pass the torch to the final participant of the One Run for Boston.

“There was so much media we couldn’t find John at first,” Botelho said.

But the mob of people finally parted and there he sat, beaming.

“It was crazy, exciting,” Botelho said. “This is why he originally came, to watch us finish.”

As Reis handed over the baton to her father, the symbolism of the event wasn’t lost on anyone.

“Watching Nicole give it to John, it was indescribable,” Botelho said.

And while most finish lines typically represent an ending, this time it was different.

“Knowing that the journey, that this is the new normal…we are moving forward,” Botelho said. “We accomplished and conquered what we were supposed to do 70 days ago. It was everything we were hoping and wanting for.”

As for Odom, he continues to fight and has an army of supporters at his side, both in person and online. There are currently 14,741 people following his progress on Botelho’s Facebook support page.

“He is moving forward and no one is going to hold him down,” Botelho said. “This really is about John’s journey and I’m happy to be part of it.”

Botelho plans to run the Boston Marathon again next year. She said Reis has not decided yet if she will return, but a close friend of the Odom family, Sarah Carr, will be running with her.

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“It’s something I need to start and finish the right way,” she said. “I feel it will be a safe event.”